Framber Valdez overcame his defensive miscue and twirled seven strong innings, Alex Bregman socked a three-run home run and the Houston Astros fended off the New York Yankees 3-2 on Thursday in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
The Astros will take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series to the Bronx for Game 3 on Saturday.
Valdez (1-0) allowed two unearned runs on four hits and no walks while recording nine strikeouts. He produced a season-high 25 swings and misses. Valdez committed two errors on the same play in the fourth inning, helping the Yankees slice a 3-0 deficit to 3-2, but he was almost flawless in his final three frames.